Optical receiver to enhance dynamic range thereof

ABSTRACT

An optical receiver with an expanded dynamic range for an input current is disclosed. The optical receiver includes a photodiode to generate a photocurrent, a trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) to convert the photocurrent into a voltage signal, a dummy TIA with an arrangement same with those of the TIA to generate a reference, a differential amplifier to amplify a difference between the voltage signal and the reference, a current source to extract a portion of the photocurrent, and a level detector to detect an average photocurrent and adjust the reference based on the average photocurrent.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present application relates to an optical receiver that converts a received optical signal into an electrical signal.

2. Related Background Art

Recent optical communication system installs optical receivers that convert optical signals transmitted through optical fibers with sensitivity. Such an optical receiver often implements a trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) in a front end thereof to amplify a faint signal converted from the received optical signal by a photodiode (hereafter denoted as PD).

Various techniques have been reported to enhance the dynamic range of a TIA. One technique installs a composite feedback element of a resistor and a diode connected in parallel to each other. A large input current automatically turns on the diode in the feedback element, which equivalently reduces the feedback impedance. Another prior art of a TIA provides a variable feedback resistor to vary, exactly reduce the closed feedback gain. However, such techniques are hard to secure the high frequency performance of the TIA. Also, a variable resistor implemented within the feedback element, which is typically a field effect transistor (FET), inevitably accompanies parasitic capacitance and degrades a small signal response of the TIA. One modification has been investigated to cope the response in a high input current with that in a small input current by raising an input DC level when the TIA receives the high input current. However, no TIA that fully satisfies the response for the small input current and that in the large input current without degrading temperature response of a TIA.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One aspect of the present invention relates to an optical receiver that includes a PD, first and second TIAs, a differential amplifier, an offset canceller, and a level detector. The PD generates a photocurrent by receiving an input optical signal. The first TIA converts the photocurrent kite a voltage signal, while, the second TIA generates a reference. The differential amplifier converts the voltage signal into two signals complementary to each other by differentiating the voltage signal from the reference. The offset canceller cancels an offset between the complementary outputs of the differential amplifier by extracting a portion of the photocurrent. The level detector detects the average of the photocurrent and outputs a control signal to the second TIA. The control signal varies the reference to widen the dynamic range of the first TIA.

The first and second TIAs have an arrangement substantially equal to each other, specifically, two TIAs have the two-stage amplifiers each including a bipolar transistor, a load resistor, and an emitter resistor where they are connected in series between the power supply and the ground. The voltage signal of the first TIA and the reference of the second TIA are output from the collector of the second stage amplifier. The control current from the level detector is provided to the emitter resistor of the second stage amplifier to decrease the collector current thereof. The reference, and/or the voltage signal, is provided as a voltage drop caused in the load resistor by the collector current. Accordingly, the decrease of the collector current in the second TIA enhances the reference. The offset canceller operates so as to cancel the offset between the voltage signal and the reference. Accordingly, the enhancement of the reference results in an increase of the voltage signal, which raises the collector level of the bipolar transistor of the second stage amplifier in the first TIA to secure fee amplifying operation of the bipolar transistor.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other purposes, aspects and advantages will be better understood from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a functional block diagram of an optical receiver according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a level detector;

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a modified level detector;

FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of a TIA;

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of a dummy TIA; and

FIG. 6A shows time behaviors of, from the top to the bottom, the photocurrent I_(PD) and the cancelling current I_(AOC), the feedback current I_(F), the emitter levels, V_(E) and V_(Ed), and fee output voltages, V_(OUT) and V_(OUTd), respectively, for a small optical power, FIG. 6B shows time behaviors for a large optical power in a conventional circuit, and FIG. 6C shows time behaviors thereof for a large optical power in the present embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Next, some embodiments according to the present application will be described in detail as referring to accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, numerals or symbols same with or similar to each other will refer to elements same with or similar to each other without duplicated explanations.

FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an optical receiver according to an embodiment of the present invention. The optical receiver 1 in FIG. 1, which is applicable to the optical communication system, receives an optical signal O_(in) from a transmitting medium, which is not illustrated in figures but it is typically an optical fiber, and converts thus received optical signal O_(in) into an electrical signal.

The optical receiver 1 includes a photodiode (PD) 3 to convert the received optical O_(in) into a photocurrent; a trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) 5; another TIA 7, which is called as a dummy TIA in the present embodiment; first and second differential amplifiers, 9 and 11; an automatic offset canceller 13; a current source 15; and a level detector 17.

The TIA 5 couples with the anode of the PD 3 and converts the photocurrent I_(PD) into a voltage signal V_(OUT). The dummy TIA 7 couples with the cathode of the PD 3 through, a capacitor 19 whose capacitance is equivalent to the capacitance of the PD 3. The capacitance of the PD 3 is primarily derived from the junction capacitance of the PD 3. The dummy TIA 7 has an arrangement same with those of the TIA 5; that is, the circuit elements and the circuit configuration of the dummy TIA 7 is the same with those of the TIA 5. The dummy TIA 7 generates a reference V_(OUTd) for converting the voltage signal V_(OUT) of the single-phase configuration into two signals each having respective phases complementary to the other, namely, the dual-phase configuration.

The first differential amplifier 9 receives the voltage signal V_(OUT) in the non-inverting input and the reference V_(OUTd) the inverting input thereof. The differential amplifier 9 generates two signals complementary to each other, that is, two signals having magnitude substantially same with the other but the opposite phases. The second differential amplifier 11 provided in downstream of the first differential amplifier 9 further amplifies the outputs of the first differential amplifier 9 to preset amplitude as maintaining the relation of the complementary phase.

The offset canceller 13, which receives two outputs of the first differential amplifier 9, generates a control signal provided to the current source 15 such that a difference of DC components or respective averages of two outputs of the first differential amplifier 9 is compensated, or eliminated. The current source 15, which is a variable current source comprised of, for instance, a bipolar transistor and/or field effect transistor (FET), extracts a portion I_(AOC) of the photocurrent I_(PD) to be provided to the TIA 5 depending on the control signal from the offset canceller 13. Specifically, the transistor is connected in collector thereof to the anode of the PD 3 and the input of the TIA 5 to flow the cancelling current I_(AOC) from the photocurrent I_(PD). When the photocurrent I_(PD) contains a large DC component, the cancelling current I_(AOC) becomes large by the feedback function of the offset canceller 13 and the current source 15. On the other hand, when the photocurrent I_(PD) contains a smaller DC component, the cancelling current I_(AOC) reduces.

The level detector 17, which is coupled with the cathode of the PD 3 slid the bias input of the dummy TIA 7, supplies a reverse bias to the PD 3 and monitors an average optical power detected by the PD 3, which is reflected in the average of the photocurrent I_(PD). The capacitor 21 connected between the input of the level detector 17 and the ground bypasses AC components of the photocurrent I_(PD). The level detector 17 outputs a control current I_(adj) reflecting the average of the photocurrent I_(PD) to the dummy TIA 7.

FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of an example of the level detector 17. The exemplary level detector 17 shown in FIG. 2 includes two FETs, 23A and 23B, exactly, a current mirror circuit formed by two p-type FETs, 23A and 23B. Specifically two FETs, 23A and 23B, are commonly connected in the gates thereof, and also commonly connected in the sources thereof to the power supply Vcc2. The collector of the FET 23A is short-circuited to the gate thereof and connected to the output terminal 25. The collector of the other FET 23B is connected to the other output terminal 27. Coupling the output terminal 25 with the cathode of the PD 3, the photocurrent I_(PD) flows out from the output terminal 25, and the control current I_(adj), which is the mirror current reflecting the photocurrent I_(PD), flows out from the other output terminal 27. When two transistors, 23A and 23B, have sizes substantially same with the other, the mirror current I_(adj) becomes substantially equal to the source current I_(PD) by the current mirror circuit shown in FIG. 2. The control current I_(adj) is provided to the dummy TIA 7 to adjust the reference V_(OUTd), which is output from the dummy TIA 7 to the first differential amplifier 9 as the reference level for converting a single phase signal into a differential signal. Thus, the reference V_(OUTd) may be adjusted depending on the average optical power, equivalently, the average photocurrent I_(PD).

FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of another example of the level detector 17A that includes an operational amplifier 29, an FET 31, and two resistors, 33 and 35. The resistor 33 is put between the output terminal 25 and the power supply Vcc2 to cause a voltage drop by the photocurrent I_(PD) flowing therein. The other resistor 35 is connected between the inverting input of the amplifier 29 and the power supply 35 to cause a voltage drop by the control current I_(adj) flowing therein. The FET 31, which may be a p-type FET, is connected between the inverting input of the amplifier 29 and the other output terminal 27. Because the operational amplifier 29 operates or generates an output thereof so as to make two input levels, the non-inverting input connected to the resistor 33 and the inverting input connected to the resistor 35, equal to each other, the control current I_(adj) is set to be substantially equal to the photocurrent I_(PD) when two resistors have the same resistance. Thus, the control current I_(adj) may fully reflect the photocurrent I_(PD).

Next, details of the TIA 5 and the dummy TIA 7 will be described. FIG. 4 is a circuit diagram of the TIA 5, while, FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of the dummy TIA 7.

First referring to FIG. 4, the TIA 5 is a type of the two-stage amplifier including two transistors, 37A and 37B. The first transistor 37A is the common emitter configuration where the collector is biased by the power supply Vcc1 through a load resistor 39A, the emitter is directly grounded and the base is coupled with the input terminal 41 to receive the input Vin. The second transistor 37B is also the common emitter configuration where the collector is biased by another power supply Vcc2 through a load resistor 39B, the base is coupled with the collector of the first transistor 37A, and the emitter is grounded through an emitter resistor 43. The output terminal 47 is coupled with the collector of the second transistor 37B to provide an output V_(OUT). In addition, the emitter of the second transistor 37B is fed back to the base of the first transistor 37A through a feedback resistor 45.

Details of the dummy TIA 7 will be described as referring to FIG. 5. The dummy TIA 7, as shown in FIG. 5, has a circuit diagram substantially same with that of the TIA 5 except for an additional input terminal 149 to receive the control current I_(adj) from the level detector 17. In the dummy TIA 7, the resistors, 139A to 145, may have the resistance same with those, 39A to 45, in the TIA 5, or increased from those, 39A to 45, in the TIA 5 by the same ratio. Specifically, when the resistors 139A to 145, have the resistance m (m>1) times greater than those of the resistors, 39A to 45, in the TIA 5, the sizes of the transistors, 137A and 137B, are necessary to be reduced by 1/m because the current flowing from the power supply Vcc2 to the ground becomes smaller. The parameter m is often called as the size factor. Then, the power consumed by the dummy TIA 7 may be reduced.

The operation of the TIA 5 and the dummy TIA 7 will be described. In the dummy TIA 7, substantially no input current I_(F) is provided from the input terminal 141 because the input terminal 141 couples with the PD 3 through the coupling capacitor 19, and the PD 3 in the cathode thereof is grounded in the AC mode. The DC component appearing in the cathode of the PD 3 is fully isolated by the coupling capacitor 19. When the transistor 137A has a current amplification factor β large enough, a voltage drop induced in the feedback resistor 145 by the base current of the transistor 137A becomes small enough, which means that the output level is equal to the input level and the control current. I_(adj) provided in the terminal 149 fully flows in the emitter resistor 143.

That is, the current flowing in the emitter resistor 143 is given by:

I _(Ed2) =I _(Ed) +I _(adj),

where I_(Ed2) and I_(Ed) are the current flowing in the emitter resistor 143 arid the emitter current flowing out from the second transistor 137B. Setting the resistance of the resistor 143 and the resistor 43 in the TIA 5 to R_(Ed2) and R_(E2), respectively; and the size ratio of the dummy TIA 7 against the TIA 5 to m (m>1); then, the emitter current I_(Ed) is given by:

I _(Ed) =V _(Ed) /R _(Ed2) −I _(adj) =V _(ind)/(m×R _(E2))−I _(adj).

Thus, the emitter current I_(Ed) may be adjusted by the control current I_(adj) provided from the level detector 17.

Because the emitter current I_(Ed) is substantially equal to the collector current I_(Cd2), the output level V_(OUTd) may be expressed as:

V _(OUTd) ˜Vcc2−m×R _(C2) ×I _(Ed)

=Vcc2−R _(C2) ×V _(ind) /R _(E2) +m×R _(C2) ×I _(adj),

where R_(C2) and m×R_(C2) are the resistance of the collector load 39B of the TIA 5 and that 139B of the dummy TIA 7, respectively. Specifically, the control current I_(adj) is proportional to the average of the optical input power, or the photocurrent I_(PD); accordingly, as increasing the average of the optical input power, the emitter current I_(Ed) of the transistor 137B decreases and the collector level thereof, which is the output V_(OUTd) of the dummy TIA 7, increases the level.

On the other hand for the TIA 5, a substantial current I_(F) appears in the input terminal 41 because the TIA 5 is coupled with the PD 3 in DC mode. Then, the emitter current I_(E) of the transistor 37B becomes:

I _(E)=(V _(in) −I _(F) ×R _(F))/R _(E2) −I _(F),

where R_(F) is resistance of the resistor 45. Then, the output level V_(OUT) of the transistor 37B is:

V _(OUT) ˜Vcc2−R _(C2) ×I _(E)

=Vcc2−R _(C2)×(V _(in) −I _(F) ×R _(F))/R _(E2) +R _(C2) ×I _(P).

The offset canceler 13 and the current source 15 operate such that two output levels, V_(OUT) and V_(OUTd), becomes equal to each other, or a difference between two levels, ΔV=|V_(OUT)−V_(OUTd)|, disappears. Moreover, because two input levels, V_(in) and V_(ind), are substantially equal to each other, V_(in)˜V_(ind), and the input current I_(F) for the TIA 5 is subtracted from the photocurrent I_(PD) by the cancelling current I_(AOC) flowing into the transistor 15, namely, I_(F)=I_(PD)−I_(AOC); cancelling current I_(AOC) is given by:

I _(AOC) =I _(PD)−(I _(adj) ×m×R _(E2))/(R _(E2) +R _(F)).

In other words, the offset canceller 13 sets the cancelling current I_(AOC) defined by the equation above described. Thus, the offset canceller 13 extracts a portion I_(AOC) of the photocurrent I_(PD) in a whole range of the input optical power, which means that the offset canceller 13 may cancel the offset appearing the output of the differential amplifier 9. Because the control current I_(adj) is practically proportional to the average input power, the cancelling current I_(AOC) becomes substantially equal to the photocurrent I_(PD), I_(AOC)˜I_(PD), when the average input power is smaller, which means that, substantially no DC current flows into the TIA 5 for small input power. On the other hand, when the average input power becomes substantial, the DC current corresponding to the second term in the above equation flows into the TIA 5.

Thus, according to the optical receiver 1, the TIA 5 converts the photocurrent I_(PD) into the voltage signal V_(OUT), while, the dummy TIA 7 provides the reference V_(OUTd) to convert the voltage signal V_(OUT) of the single phase into the differential signal, where the reference V_(OUTd) corresponds to, or proportional to, the average of the input optical power. Because the reference V_(OUTd) fully reflects the average input power, the optical receiver 1 may operate in a whole range of the optical input power without implementing with an integrating filter to pass only low-frequency (LF) components of the voltage signal V_(OUT), where the integrating filter is often provided between the TIA 5 and the differential amplifier 9 to generate an average of the voltage signal V_(OUT). Moreover, the optical receiver 1 provides the offset canceller 13 to cancel the output offset of the differential amplifier 9. The offset canceller 13 operates to compensate the output offset caused by an offset between two output signals, V_(OUT) and V_(OUTd). Although the output V_(OUTd) of the dummy TIA 7 corresponds to the average of the voltage signal V_(OUT), two TIAs, 5 and 7, independently operate and inevitably cause an offset between respective outputs, which finally results in the output offset of the differential amplifier 9. The offset canceller 13 may effectively cancel the output offset of the differential amplifier 9 by extracting a portion I_(AOC) of the photocurrent I_(PD).

Two TIAs, 5 and 7, have the configuration of the two stage transistors, and the dummy TIA 7, depending on the average of the photocurrent I_(PD), decreases the output current of the second stage transistor to increase the reference level V_(OUTd).Thus, the increase of the reference level V_(OUTd) for a large photocurrent I_(PD) may effectively prevent the second stage transistor 37B in the TIA 5 from being saturated, which improves the overload characteristic, namely, the performance of a large input power, in particular, the frequency response for a large power. Moreover, the power dissipation of the dummy TIA 7 is set to be small enough by setting the size factor m.

The operation of the optical receiver 1 of the present embodiment will be further described as referring to FIGS. 6A to 6C which show time behaviors of respective signals. That is, FIG. 6A shows time behaviors of, from the top to the bottom, the photocurrent I_(PD) and the cancelling current I_(AOC), the feedback current I_(F) (the current input to the TIA 5), the emitter voltage, V_(E) and V_(Ed), and the output voltages. V_(OUT) and V_(OUTd), respectively, each for smaller input power; FIG. 6B shows time behaviors of them at larger input power for a conventional optical receiver; and FIG. 6C shows time behaviors of them for the larger input power of the present embodiment.

For the smaller input power, as shown in FIG. 6A, the offset canceller 13 operates such that the cancelling current I_(AOC) becomes substantially equal to the average of the photocurrent I_(PD). Then, the average feedback current I_(P) flowing in the feedback resistor 45 in the TIA 5 becomes zero, the emitter level V_(Ed) of the dummy TIA 7 becomes equal to the average of the emitter level V_(E) of the TIA 5, and the output level V_(OUTd) of the dummy TIA 7 also becomes equal to the output V_(OUT) of the TIA 5. Thus, the mono-phase to the dual-phase conversion by the differential amplifier 9 may be adequately carried out. Assuming the resistance of the feedback resistor 45 and the photocurrent I_(PD) are 500 Ω and 100 μAp-p, respectively, namely, the average of 50 μA, the emitter shows the amplitude V_(E) of 100 mVp-p. Because the input level Vin is generally around 0.9 V, the average of the emitter level V_(E) also becomes around 0.9 V. Setting the power supply Vcc2 and balancing the resistance of two resistors, R_(C2)=R_(E2), the output V_(OUT) becomes 2.1 V which is lower from the power supply Vcc2 by 0.9 V. Those conditions are often appearing in a practical operation of the two-stage amplifier. In such a condition, the second-stage transistor 37B may be biased over 0.2 V in the base-collector junction V_(BC2), which operates the second-stage transistor 37B as an amplifier.

FIG. 6B corresponds to a conventional optical receiver that receives large optical power, where the conventional optical receiver is assumed to have no level detector 17. In the conventional optical receiver, the photocurrent I_(PD) increases as the average input power increases. The offset canceller 13 operates such that the cancelling current I_(AOC) becomes equal to the average of the photocurrent I_(PD), which results in a condition where the second-stage transistor 37B does not operate as an amplifier, specifically, the base-collector bias V_(BC2) thereof is not secured. In a case where the photocurrent I_(PD) is 2 mAp-p (the average of 1 mA), the amplitude of the emitter level V_(E) becomes 1.0 Vp-p and the output voltage V_(OUT) also shows fee amplitude of 1.0 Vp-p with the average of 2.1 V. While, the base of the second-stage transistor 37B swings, with respect to the emitter bias V_(E) thereof, in a same phase but slightly greater amplitude around the level higher by a forward junction voltage (0.8˜0.9 V), that is, the base of the second-stage transistor 37B swings about 1.0 Vp-p around 1.8 V. Under such a condition, the base-collector bias V_(BC2) of the second-stage transistor 37B becomes −0.7V in the worst condition, which is unable for the second stage transistor 37B to operate as an amplifier. The base-collector junction is forwardly biased when the optical signal is off, namely, in the low level, which degrades the performance, in particular, the operational speed of the transistor and extremely distorts the output of the TIA 5.

FIG. 6C corresponds to the optical receiver 1 of the present embodiment feat provides the level detector 17. The level detector 17 adjusts the current I_(adj) provided to the dummy TIA 7 to suppress the cancelling current I_(AOC) smaller than the average of the photocurrent I_(PD) and the substantial current I_(F) flows in the feedback resistor 45 to lower the emitter level V_(E) compared with the conventional circuit. Then, the average of the output V_(OUT) rises to secure the amplifying operation of the second-stage transistor 37B. Specifically, under the conditions same with those corresponding to FIG. 6B, the level detector 17 provides the control current I_(adj), whose magnitude is 3/10 of the photocurrent I_(PD), to the dummy TIA 7, which rises the output V_(OUTd) by 0.3 V and lowers the emitter level V_(Ed) by 0.3 V. Because the offset canceller 13 operates such that two outputs, V_(OUTd) and V_(OUT), becomes equal, the increase of the reference V_(OUTd) by 0.3 V results in the increase of the output V_(OUT) by 0.3 V and the decrease of the emitter level V_(E) by 0.3 V, which, also decreases of the collector level V_(C1) of the first-stage transistor 37A or the base level of the second-stage transistor 37B. Accordingly, the base-collector bias V_(BC2) of the second-stage transistor 37B becomes −0.1 V even in the worst case thereof, which secures the high-speed operation of the second-stage transistor 37B.

The control current shows the same function with that described above even when the input power is small. However, leaving the cancelling current I_(AOC) in substantial when the input power is small, the minimum receiving sensitivity degrades because the cancelling current I_(AOC) causes shot noise in the current source 15 and the first stage transistor 37A. However, the present optical receiver decreases the cancelling current I_(AOC) in the small input power; accordingly, the shot noise due to the cancelling current I_(AOC) is substantially ignorable. When the input optical power becomes large, the photocurrent I_(PD) also increases to compensate the increase of the cancelling current I_(AOC) and the shot noise is also ignorable.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been described herein for purposes of illustration, many modifications and changes will become apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to encompass all such modifications and changes as fall within the true spirit and scope of this invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An optical receiver to receive an optical signal, comprising: a photodiode to generate a photocurrent corresponding to the received optical signal; a first trans-impedance amplifier (TIA) to convert the photocurrent into a voltage signal, a second TIA having an arrangement same with an arrangement of the first TIA, the second TIA outputting a reference; a differential amplifier to amplify a difference between the voltage signal and the reference, the differential amplifier outputting two outputs complementary to each other; an offset canceller to extract a portion of the photocurrent based on the outputs of the differential amplifier; and a level detector to detect an average of the photocurrent, the level detector outputting a control current to the second TIA to vary the reference.
 2. The optical receiver of claim 1, wherein the first TIA and the second TIA have a first stage amplifier including a bipolar transistor and a second stage amplifier including a bipolar transistor, the second stage amplifiers of the first TIA and the second TIA outputting the voltage signal and the reference, respectively, and wherein the second TIA receives the control current from the level detector, the control current varying a current flowing in the second stage amplifier.
 3. The optical receiver of claim 2, wherein the second stage amplifier includes a load resistor, the bipolar transistor, and a emitter resistor connected in series between a power supply and a ground, the reference being output as a voltage drop caused in the load resistor by a collector current flowing in the second stage amplifier, and wherein the control current is provided to the emitter resistor to decrease the collector current.
 4. The optical receiver of claim 1, wherein the level detector includes a current mirror circuit reflecting the photocurrent flowing in the currant mirror circuit as a source current to the control current flowing in the current mirror circuit as a mirror current.
 5. The optical receiver of claim 1, wherein the first TIA and the second TIA have resistors and transistors, the resistors in the second TIA having resistance greater than resistance of the resistors in the first TIA by a size factor m, the transistors in the second TIA having a size of 1/m of a size of the transistors in the first TIA, and wherein the second TIA has power consumption smaller than power consumption of the first TIA. 